This book would not have been possible without the help of literally dozens of dedicated Scouters, who share our hope that the information in this book will help you to create opportunities for Scouts to grow and change their lives for the better as they grow to become responsible members of our society.

It is almost impossible to correctly identify every person or organization that in some way helped the authors in the creation of this book. No doubt we will miss someone in our efforts to name as many as possible. If we have erred, please forgive us and know that your contribution was nonetheless much appreciated.

Our heartfelt thanks are extended to Dr. Ron Adolphi (Lutheran) (National Protestant Committee on Scouting), Mr. Tommy Thompson (Roman Catholic) (National Capital Area Council, Commissioner's College Doctoral Dissertation Counselor) and Maj. George Kerr, U.S.M.C. (Ret.) (Senior District Executive - George Washington District) who reviewed the first draft of our second edition and provided valuable insights and comments. Thanks are also extended to Mr. Lee Oppenheim (Jewish) (George Washington District Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner), who reviewed the final draft of the second edition and provided editorial assistance. As we prepared the third edition we also received valuable editing assistance from Donald Ellison (L.D.S.) and additional information from George N. Boulukos (National Chairman, Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting) and Robert J. Roxbury (United Methodist, Glacier Ridge District Membership Chairman, Moraine Trails Council). We are also thankful for the generous help of Gene Wichman (Roman Catholic).

Special thanks also are extended to Mark Hazlewood of Programs for Religious Activities with Youth (P.R.A.Y.) for his kind advice and his assistance in obtaining many resources and loaning us many of the materials used in the National Capital Area Council, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 Cub Scout Leaders' Pow Wow, Religious Emblem Programs Seminar. Special thanks go to the Rt. Rev. John Enzler for helping reproduce previous copies of this book. Similarly, additional special thanks are in order for the help and cooperation extended by many of the national religious organizations, which provided resource materials and/or display samples of their religious emblems. Those organizations were:

Association of Baptists for Scouting

Association of Unity Churches, Education Department

Bahá'í Committee on Scouting

Boy Scout Relations Committee, General Church of the New Jerusalem

Buddhist Churches of America National Committee on Scouting

Committee for Meher Baba and Scouting

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) National Association of Boy Scout, Girl Scout and Camp

During months of preparation, writing and editing of this fourth and previous editions, the families of the authors often noted a strange preoccupation and the occasional temporary absence of one or both of the authors as work progressed. For the patient support of our spouses, Deborah G. Bowman and Robin Bryant, we acknowledge a debt of gratitude.

Finally, this book would not have been possible without the help of the Capital Lutheran Association of Scouters, members of the National Capital Area Council's Religious Relationships Committee and a committed group of Scouters whose assistance made the reproduction of this Guidebook possible. Thanks to the generosity and efforts of these Scouters, earlier editions of this book were distributed to every National Capital Area Council Pow Wow Religious Emblem Programs Seminar attendee for the last three years, attendees at the Northeast Region's 1995 Akela Calls, and to more than 200 other Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioners and Trainers in over 20 other councils in the Northeast Region at no cost. Similarly free copies of this edit are being distributed to attendees at the 1996 National Capital Area Council Pow Wow, the Baltimore Area Council Pow Wow, and the Philmont Chaplains.

During the preparation for this book, care was taken to verify copyrights and obtain permission to use materials when copyrights were identified. It is not the intention of the authors to violate the rights or knowingly trespass otherwise upon the rights of authors, composers, and publishers. No reproductions can be made from this book without the express permission of the copyright owners. The opinions expressed herein are strictly those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Boy Scouts of America.

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